Greer CPW's Bill Hipp proudly points to the "Pathway to Safety" emblem that represents a vehicle safety program. CPW won first place and a $500 honorium to purchase safety equipment.
Ken Holliday, Human Resources Director, made the presentation at today's regularly scheduled CPW commissioners meeting.
The Pathway to Safety program promoting vehicle safety won the award for 2011. The program encourages vehicle safety with employees checking CPW vehicles before leaving them at job sites and when returning. "This assures the safety of the employees and our customers," Holliday, director of CPW Human Resources, said. The honor came with a $500 award for CPW to purchase safety equipment.
CPW came in second in the state in Division 4 in an Occupational Safety contest. Holliday received the award on behalf of Greer CPW during last Wednesday's municipal day in Columbia. The $1,000 credit to purchase safety equipment will be put toward defibrillators for CPW vehicles. "It's important to us because the money we spend to keep employees safe and get them home at the end of the day is our most important goal," Commissioner Perry Williams said.
Commission Chairman Eugene Gibson, conducting his first meeting as newly elected board chairman, presented the plaque publicly and praised Holliday and his staff for a job well done.
A third award for safety was presented with a $2,000 matching grant for CPW to spend on items such as cones and protective gear for its equipment and employees. When CPW spends $4,000 on the safety items it will be reimbursed $2,000. It's the third straight year Greer CPW earned the award.
Special recognition was given to Bill Hipp. "He reports to Ken and Bill eats, sleeps and speaks safety," Gibson said. "Safety is important and we don't want to send our employees out in the field unarmed and uneducated."
CPW commissioners approved several business items:
• Granted a resolution for right-of-way acquisition for the St. James Place homeowner's association. It allows extension of proposed sewer service on green land that will most likely be developed for single family homes. Attorneys representing both parties recommended condemnation of the land to get permanent easement that would not get reversed. That would eliminate the need for a pump station and provide a gravity line, according to Randy Olson, CPW City Operations Manager. Bob Hinson, president of the HOA said, made the request to the CPW. The measure carried with Jeff Howell abstaining for potential conflict of interest.
• Granted a bid of $82,000 for a diesel engine driven pump for the I-85/Highway 101 pump station. Olson said it would increase reliability on the BMW pump station. The diesel pumps will have control panels with individual settings to prevent them from being disengaged if submerged. Olson proposed and the commissioners approved saving $10,000 for an additional 3-year warranty. The vote was 3-0.
• A companion bid was approved 3-0 asking for two additional replacement pumps, motors and control panel for the I-85/Highway 101 pump station. The pump station is 18-years old and the control panel has shorted out in the past. The two immersible motors would be able to run in a wet well. The pumps and control panel totaled $92,500.